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Central E-LinkWeekly Newsletter of the Central Texas Conference
January 5, 2006 Welcome! This is the conference’s weekly update to church leaders — lay and clergy — for things you probably need to know. Information to be shared must be submitted to Carolyn@ctcumc.org by 4 p.m. Wednesday in order to be e-mailed on Thursday. Articles should be as brief with active links to websites or contact persons for details. Use this information for announcements, in church newsletters and/or bulletins. The E-Link and the Central Link newspaper are posted on the conference website at www.ctxumc.org. Read them online or download and copy to share with others. To add a colleague or church member to E-Link’s weekly distribution, send their addresses to susan@ctcumc.org.
— Editor: Carolyn Stephens Carolyn@ctcumc.org.
Shortcuts: Top News Events Resources Calendar Needs ______________________________________________________________________________ For worldwide news of our denomination click here! www.reporterinteractive.org
Near-Time Items
January previews offer
20% discount on VBS resources
ESL Language Workshop A workshop on “Starting and Teaching English as a Second Language” will be held Saturday, Jan. 14, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Metropolitan Board of Mission building (2601 Clover Lane, Fort Worth 76107). Facilitator will be Tamara Whiddon, a certified adult ESL instructor for the Fort Worth Independent School District, and special guest speaker will be Penny Gee, ESL Specialist Pearson Longman ESL. For more details and registration form, visit the Hispanic Ministry webpage at www.ctxumc.org.
Astrophysicist gives lectures at First UMC Fort Worth Rev. Dr. Wilderson, a UM minister and prominent astrophysicist, will be doing a series of seven lectures at First UMC Fort Worth Jan. 6-9. He was a big hit at the last World Methodist Conference in England. He will be dealing with the science religion issue and both a theologian and a scientist. This is a unique opportunity for persons interested in this topic to come, hear, and participate. Visit the church website at www.fumcftw.org for lecture topics and times.
Shaping Up in 2006: Body, Mind & Spirit (repeat) Dr. David N. Mosser, senior pastor at First UMC Arlington, will present an Advent Bible Study—Luke/Acts: “The Gospel Hits” at 6:45 p.m. Sunday-Wednesday, Jan. 8-13, at St. Stephen UMC (1800 W. Randol Mill Road, Arlington 76012). A healthy snack supper will precede the Bible Study that begins at 6 p.m. All adults and youth are invited. A nursery is provided for infants and toddlers. For more information, call 817 460-8655 or email the church ssumc@sbcglobal.net.
Register NOW for Marriage ministries (repeat) Clergy and lay leadership and church member who are interested in beginning marriage ministries within their congregation — or who have existing marriage ministries but would like to share ideas and learn from other church efforts — are invited to the Marriage Ministries Workshop & Summit Jan.14 at Glen Lake Camp & Retreat Center. The Marriage Ministries Advisory Council and the Central Texas Conference Nurture Council are offering this event, scheduled for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Speakers will address the theological undergirding of marriage ministries and a wide variety of marriage ministry resources, including ones for addressing spirituality types in marriage, family emotional process, finances, and communication. For more details, visit the conference website at www.ctxumc.org or contact Susan Briles at 817-877-5222, 800-460-8622 or susan@ctcumc.org.
Time Apart/Fellowship of Local Pastors Roy M. Oswald of the Alban Institute will be leader for “Sabbath Time, a focus on rest and renewal” Jan. 17-18 at Glen Lake Camp & Retreat Center. This is the conference’s annual Time Apart for church professionals. The focus this year is in several areas: • survival skills – clergy stress and burnout • spiritual development • power-analysis of a congregation • multiple-staff needs • assimilation & incorporation of new members • transition skills • clergy family needs • survival skills for church executives • start-up training for new pastors • termination and exit training.
A brochure is available on the conference website www.ctxumc.org or by contacting Michelle Reynolds at 254-897-2247 or michelle@glenlake.org.
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News
Conference offering recipients The deadline for submitting requests to be recipient of the 2006 Annual Conference Offering is Feb. 22. Requests must be sent to Dr. Doyle Allen, Mission Ministries Director, at 464 Bailey Ave., Fort Worth 76107 or doyle@ctcumc.org. Requests must include the name of the organization, address and phone, name of person submitting request, a brief description of the mission/ministry of the organization, and a brief yet specific paragraph how the funds will be used.
Wildfire ravage parts of Texas and Oklahoma Wildfires in Central Texas and Oklahoma moved rapidly across the windswept plains. Cross Plains was particularly hard hit where two elderly women were killed and 116 homes were burned along with the First UMC, Cross Plains church and parsonage. The church was to celebrate its 120th anniversary on New Year's Day. Worship was still held that Sunday with 165 people gathering in the church parking lot. The local church members are coming together to assist not only its members affected by the fires, but the community as a whole. For ongoing updates ways that you can help, visit the conference website at www.ctxumc.org. Contributions for rebuilding the Cross Plains UMC church and parsonage can be made payable to the Brownwood District (note Cross Plains Church” on the check). Mail to the district at P.O. Box 1665, Brownwood 76804. If you wish to contribute to community relief through your local church, the Advance number for support is #901670. Churches: please send these monetary contributions on your remittance form to Central Texas Conference, P.O. Drawer 99087, Fort Worth, TX 76199.
Fires in Southern Oklahoma are destroying homesteads in the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference. Phyllis McCarty, disaster coordinator for the conference told Disaster News Network, "A lot of our Indian people live on homesteads they've had for 100 years. They don't want to see it go. They're trying to do everything they can to keep in from burning." The fires are robbing many of their livelihoods for the rest of the winter destroying fields, cattle, and feed.
UMCOR has issued emergency grants of $10,000 to assist in the immediate response to the fires. Gifts to UMCOR Advance #901670, Domestic Disaster Response, enable UMCOR to provide immediate support in response to disasters such as these.
Reporter stories to look for this week Some articles you may enjoy reading in this week’s UM Reporter include: • Bishop Woodie White’s annual “Letter to Martin Luther King, Jr.” White, now retired, was the first general secretary of the General Commission on Religion & Race. This year he pens a tribute to Civil Rights pioneer Rose Parks who died in 2005. • Rev. Ralph Lord Roy, a retired member of the New York Annual Conference, recalls the impression Dr. Martin Luther King Jr made on him during a jail cell visit 44 years ago in Albany, Georgia. • Helping an Iraqi baby may not be the typical strategy for winning the war in Iraq, but Lt. Jeff Morgan, a UM stationed near Baghdad, says it’s part of his mission in making a human connection.
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CTCYM Mexico Mission Trip The registration form for the 2006 CTCYM Mexico Trip can be found online at www.ctxumc.org. This trip is July 23-29 and is open to youth completing grades 10-12 in spring 2006 and adults (25 years and older). The deadline to turn in your form and $175 deposit is Jan. 10, 2006.
Hispanic ministry
opportunity
Older Adults Valentine
Luncheon
Spanish Immersion
Weekend
Acts of the Apostles Bible study Bobby Baggett, senior pastor at Richland Hills UMC, invites all to come and hear Rev. Dr. David Mosser, present a Bible study on the “Acts of the Apostles” on three consecutive Wednesdays beginning at 6 p.m. Dates for the sessions are Jan. 18, 25, and Feb. 1. Mosser is senior pastor at First UMC Arlington. Call 817-284-9371 for information. Richland Hills UMC is located at 7301 Glenview Dr. in N. Richland Hills 76180.
Tongan Luau
Exploring “Complicated” Mourning Author, educator and grief counselor Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D. will lead two seminars on dealing with grief in January, both sponsored by First UMC of Fort Worth. To request a registration form or for more details on the Wolfelt seminars, call 817-336-7277 or metro 817-429-9020. Registrations are requested by Jan. 10.
• “Exploring ‘Complicated’ Mourning: Sudden Death, Suicide Grief and Trauma Loss” seminar for caregivers will be held at 5:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17, at New World UMC (2201 N. Davis Drive, Arlington 76012).
• “Exploring the Heart of Grief: A ‘Companioning’ Philosophy of Caregiving” seminar for caregivers and those who grieve will be held at 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18, at First UMC of Fort Worth (800 W. Fifth St., Fort Worth 76102).
Survivors of Suicide (repeat) A new Survivors of Suicide support group will start on Jan. 24 and go for eight weeks. This is a group for those persons who have had someone close to them commit suicide. The group is limited to 10-12 persons. It is always led by a professional counselor and a person who is a survivor, one who has had someone commit suicide. They meet for two hours. At the close of this group there is a monthly support group they can participate in for a period of two years. This group is endorsed by the National Society of Suicideology. Every three days two persons commit suicide in Tarrant County. This represents immense pain that requires specialized grief support.
Lay Speaker event in February (repeat) Training is planned for United Methodists who wish to become lay speakers and lay speakers who wish to fulfill renewal requirements. Lay Speakers who have not taken a basic or an advance course since February 2003 should sign up for one of the advanced courses. Basic and advanced courses will be available, all held at Glen Lake Camp & Retreat Center in Glen Rose. Applications can be attained through the district direct of lay speaker ministry or online at www.ctxumc.org.
Friday, 2-24-06 — registration starts at 6 p.m. Saturday, 2-25-06 — all day instruction Sunday, 2-26-05 — check out by 1 p.m.
Sexual Harassment Misconduct Prevention Training (repeat) The next Central Texas Conference-sponsored Sexual Harassment Misconduct Prevention Training will be March 18 at St. Andrews UMC in Fort Worth at 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It is recommended that clergy, local church staff, district office staff, church daycare/nursery workers, staff/parish relations committees, campus ministry staff and all volunteers should attend this workshop if you have not already completed the October training event.
This experience will help people define and understand sexual harassment and misconduct. The presenters will provide information that will help individuals be better aware of issues of power and misuse of power, and be able to identify unethical conduct/potential abusive situations within ministerial relationships. The cost is $25 for the workbook (at least one per five people is recommended) and $7.50 for lunch. If you have questions, please contact Susan Briles at 800-460-8622, 817-877-5222 or susan@ctcumc.org.
SCJ volunteer work at Mount Sequoyah – April 3-7 Mount Sequoyah invites South Central Jurisdiction volunteers to their workweek and to enjoy the beauty of springtime at the jurisdictional retreat center. It is an important time of renewal and transformation. Your work will be to enhance the mission and beauty of Mount Sequoyah. Time will be spent repairing buildings, cleaning windows, sealing decks, or making the grounds beautiful. Your carpentry, drywall, maintenance, sewing, cleaning or painting skills will be put to good use. For more details, brochures and registration, visit the website at www.mountsequoyah.org or call 800-760-8126 or 479-443-4531.
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Resources
Greetings from
Methodist Children’s Home in Waco Resource Center new arrival New resources highlighted at the Conference Resource Center this week are described below. For these and many more resources, contact Carol Roszell at 817-877-5222 or 800-460-8622.
Let Us Break Bread Together: A Passover Haggadah for Christians – Rev. Michael Smith and Rabbi Rami Shapiro. Jews have been celebrating the Passover through a special meal, called a Seder, for millennia. Jesus himself celebrated the Passover feast with his disciples in what we refer to as The Last Supper. This book offers a way to celebrate an authentic Jewish Passover Seder from a distinctively Christian perspective. 2005. 39 pages
Butler’s Lives of the Saints. Edited by Bernard Bangley. An authoritative guide to the Christian saints in today’s language that provides an illuminating, accessible guide to the lives and legacies of the saints. Features saints who are examples of Christian living and practice, who provide inspiration for our own lives. 2005. 301 pages
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— Looking Ahead — Singles Book Study — 7 p.m. Tuesdays beginning Jan. 10 at St. Barnabas UMC, Arlington Marriage Ministries Workshop & Summit — Jan 14 at Glen Lake Camp & Retreat Center Hurst 3D Youth presentation: Pressure Points — Jan. 15 at First Hurst UMC Clergy Time Apart — Jan. 17-18 at Glen Lake Camp & Retreat Center Large Church Initiative & Cokesbury Worship Connection — Jan. 17-19 at First UMC Grapevine United Methodist Women’s Charter of Racial Justice — Jan. 21 at St. Andrews UMC, Fort Worth United Methodist Women’s Legislative Event — Jan. 29-31 in Austin United Methodist Women’s School of Mission Planning Team — Feb. 4 Spanish Immersion Weekend — Feb. 24-25 at First UMC Burleson Conference Lay Speaker Annual Training Event — Feb. 24-26 at Glen Lake Camp, Glen Rose Conference Marriage Retreat — March 3-5 at Glen Lake Camp & Retreat Center Spring Board of Ministry interviews — March 27-29, 2006 at Glen Lake Camp
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Needs, Resources, Opportunities
NOTE TO LISTERS: Please contact Carolyn Stephens at Carolyn@ctcumc.org to pull your listing when your opening has been filled.
Program Director Youth Director
St. Paul United Methodist Church of Hurst
seeks a youth director. The position is 10-12 hours per week. Interested
persons may contact the church at 852 Bedford Euless Road, Hurst 76053,
or email
stpaulhu@airmail.net
or call 817-284-7181. Creative Services Manager
UM Communication’s Igniting Ministry Team
in Nashville seeks applicants for creative services manager. This
position is responsible for assisting with development of creative
strategies and concepts for IM resources, their execution, modifying and
archiving new creative graphics for public release to churches, web
backup and IM news eUpdate, and in-house collateral customization and
graphic design assistance. Apply by Jan. 11 with resume and 3
references. Contact: UMCom/Human Resources, P.O. Box 320, Nashville, TN
37202-0320. Phone: 615-742-5137. Fax: 615-742-5428. E-mail:
hr@umcom.org. Director of Youth Ministries Silver Creek UMC, located in East Parker County, seeks a part-time director of youth ministries. This position is responsible for developing and leading Christian education, worship, and outreach programming for youth 7th through 12th grades, as well as recruiting and managing adult volunteers. Interested applicants should be self-motivated, passionate about working with youth, and have the ability to vision for future growth in the context of a small but quickly expanding ministry. Salary commensurate with experience. Expected hours per week, 15-20. Please contact Jason Hamilton at revjasonallen@hotmail.com or by calling the church office at 817-444-1382.
Glen
Lake Camp & Retreat Center Director (deadline Jan. 20)
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If you know someone in your church, district or even outside the Central Texas Conference who might appreciate receiving this weekly electronic newsletter — or to unsubscribe your own listing — contact Susan Briles at Susan@ctcumc.org
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